Door latch



Nov. 7, W39. J. A. SCHMITT noon LATCH Filed Sepi. 29, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Summer J14, 105% SUw W/TT Cttomeg m @&

Ill! 1| "IIL w- '7, 1939- J. AfscHMrrT DOOR LATCH Filed Sept. 29, 1938 Sheets-Sheet 5 V I Ihwemor Mus Hi SCH/MIT? Gnomeg Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES i ATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My present invention relates to an improved door latch of the sliding bolt type, and designed especially for use with hinged or swinging doors. While the door latch of my invention is adapted for use with house doors, and doors of other structures, as well as Vehicle doors, for convenience of description I have illustrated the door latch as employed on a vehicle door. It will be understood that necessary changes and alterations are made in adapting the door latch to right hand doors, left hand doors, front doors, and rear doors, for instance, of automobiles, and in installing the door latch for use with other types of doors.

In carrying out my invention I employ a concealed slide bolt and automatic means are employed for projecting the concealed bolt to latched position as the door 'is closed, and preferably this automatic means includes a latching lever which is mounted on the door in asociation with the latch device for co-action with a stationary portion or abutment on the door jamb or door frame.

For unlatching the door I employ a pair of pivoted handles operable at the opposite sides of the door, both of which handles swing on their pivots, initially, to unlatch the door or retract the slide bolt, and this swinging movement may be or may not be in the direction of the opening movement of the door, depending upon the desired arrangement of the latch. The slide bolt is reciprocated through the instrumentality of a pivoted bolt-lever, or bell-crank lever, and the latter is operated in connection with an oscillating connector that is actuated by manipulation of the handles for retraction of the slide bolt.

Means which are accessible and operable from the inside of the door, are also employed for looking the projected bolt in latched position to securely lock the door from the inside of a vehicle or of a building structure.

When the door is unlatched, or in open position, the slide bolt is concealed within the door in retracted position, with the outer face of the bolt-head flush with the face plate of the door, and this concealing of the bolt within the door eliminates danger of injury to a person passing through the doorway, protects the persons clothing from being torn, and also protects the clothing against soiling by contact with an otherwise exposed greasy or lubricated latch-bolt.

By the utilization of my invention I provide a door latch that comprises a minimum number of parts which may be manufactured with facility and inexpensively; the parts are readily assembled for use within the interior of the door in connection with a latch-plate here shown as having a supporting flange or panel within the door for the operating parts, and the operating parts are readily accessible for repairs or replacements when necessary. It will be understood however that the operating parts of the latch device may be installed in proper operative positions in other ways, depending upon the various requirements of different types of doors.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts involved in carrying out the purpose of the invention by the use of mechanical structures and the operation of these structures in the door latch.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one mode of installing the latch device in the door, and two examples of the physical embodim'ent of my invention exemplifying two forms of the oscillating connector combined and arranged in accord with the best modes I have thus far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention. It will be understood that changes and alterations are contemplated and will be made in these exemplifying structures in the adaptation of the door-latch to a variety of doors usedfor different purposes.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation, as at line l--l of Figure 2 disclosing the operating parts in unlatched position.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through a portion of the spaced door panels showing the slide bolt in latched and locked position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, as at line 33 of Figure 1, with the bolt retracted and concealed ,in unlatched position.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing one form of the automatic latching lever, mounted on the door in suitable position for co-action with an abutment on the door jamb or door frame.

I Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of the spaced door panels, showing a modified arrangement of the doorhandles and connections, together with a modified form of the oscillating connector, the bolt being shown in latched position.

Figure 6 is a view looking from the left in Figure 5 disclosing the parts in locked position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of some of the parts in Figure 6.

In order to show the general arrangement of parts in a specific installation I have indicated at A a portion of an outside panel and at B a portion of an inside panel of the door and these panels are united by a face-plate P extending the width of the door at its front or free edge, it being understood that the door is of the hinged or swinging type, and mounted in a door jamb or frame F. The outside and inside panels are securely fastened together and to the door by means threaded sockets or bosses C and complementary screws D.

The latch device may be installed within the door in any suitable manner, as for instance by slotting the face-plate P to accommodate the latch-plate l which is inset in the face-plate and fastened thereto as by screws 3. This latch plate is fashioned with a panel 2 located in the interior of the door between the outside panel and the inside panel of the door, and for convenience of identification panel 2 will hereinafter be referred to as an interior panel.

A conventional slide bolt 4 is adapted to reciprocate in slide bearings as 5 for the bolt-head 6, and 5' for the rear, reduced and rounded end of the slide bolt. The bolt-head is preferably fashioned with a rubber tip or anti-rattling cap I, which engages in a keeper 8 rigid with the door frame or door jamb F, and of course this keeper is located in proper position to receive the cushioned bolt-head, when the door is latched.

For reciprocating the slide bolt in its slide bearings 5 and 5', I utilize a bell-crank operatinglever which is pivotally mounted at 9 on the interior panel 2, above the slide bolt, and a long, depending arm 10 of this lever is operatively connected with the slide bolt by passing its free end through a vertical slot l l in the slide bolt.

The slide bolt projects from its concealed position within the door only during the time that the door is closed and latched, and it is automatically projected from unlatched position of Figure 1 to latched position of Figure 6 just before, or simultaneously with the end of the closing movement of the door. For this purpose I preferably employ a latch-lever, shown best in Figure 4, which is pivotally mounted in operative position at IE on the interior panel 2, with a portion of the lever extending exterior of the door and in position for co-action with an abutment or a part of the door jamb or door frame.

One arm of this latching lever is formed with a head M, which like the head of the slide bolt, is equipped with a rubber cap or anti-rattling tip to prevent striking or rattling noises. The cushioned head M is located in position to contact, at a suitable point, with an abutment on the door frame, and as before stated, this contact takes place just before, or simultaneously with the end of the closing movement of the hinged door, as the door comes to rest within the door jamb or door frame F.

The latching lever, as indicated, is fashioned with a crank-arm l5 which terminates in a loop loosely engaged over the free end of a resiliently mounted arm ll which is pivotally supported at it] on the long arm ill of the bolt-lever adjacent to its pivot 9.

The contact of the head M with a stationary abutment is so timed, and the latching device is so located that the pivotal movement of the latching lever swings its crank arm l5 upwardly, carrying with it the resiliently supported arm I1, and this action causes the bolt-lever or operating lever Ill to swing on its pivot 9, and through the slot connection at l l the bolt is projected.

For the purpose of resiliently supporting the crank arm ll, its pivot i8 is connected by coiled spring IS with the bolt lever Ill, and this spring tends to swing the arm I! upwardly in Figure 1. Another spring, as 20, which is interposed between the upper edge of the arm i l and an abutment on the interior panel 2, tends to force the arm ll downwardly in Figure l, and these springs are adjusted to provide the desired resiliency for the support of the arm I1.

After the slide bolt has been latched, it may be locked from the inside of the door by readily accessible means including a key 2! that is mounted in the spaced panels A and B transversely of the door as indicated in Figure 3. The key, Which is preferably square in cross section, is longitudinally movable and guided by the walls of the slots of the spaced panels A and B, and the key is fashioned with an exterior head 22 adapted to accommodate the thumb or finger for pressure in looking the bolt to prevent its retraction, and also for pressure in releasing the key to permit retraction of the bolt.

As seen in the locked position of Figure 2, the key has a lateral blade 23 that is located in position to form an abutment or stop in the path of movement of the lever arm ill to prevent unlatching movement of the slide bolt 4. For releasing the key a spring 24 is coiled about its rounded and reduced end, and interposed between the blade 23 or an abutment on the key and a socket-plate 25 that is rigidly mounted on the inner side of the panel A. The spring is placed under tension when the key is slid, by hand pressure against the head 22, to locking position. By a combined push and slight downward movement of the head, the key is pushed or shoved to locking position. At its under side the key is fashioned with a notch 26 that engages over a lug 2'l rigidly mounted on the panel B, and this notch and lug in connection with the spring, hold the key in locked position. To release the operating lever or bolt lever, and the latch bolt, from locked position, the head 22 of the key is pressed slightly upwardly to disengage the notch from the lug; the spring then projects the key to the left in Figure 2, and blade 23 projecting laterally from the key, by contact with panel B in Figure 3, limits the releasing movement of the key.

In both of the illustrated forms of the invention, the bolt-lever or operating-lever is fashioned with a short, upper, angular arm 29, and in the first described form of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, this arm is raised to cause unlatching movement of the bolt, through the instrumentality of a V-shaped oscillating connector which is pivotally mounted transversely of the door at so on the interior panel 2. This connector is located and adapted to move in a plane at right angles to the plane of the bolt lever or operating lever and just below the short arm 29 of the operating lever. The oscillating connector is fashioned with a pair of diverging horns 3i and 32 the former pointing toward the inner side of the door and the latter pointing toward the outer side of the door. It will be understood that under some conditions and requirements of installation of the latch device, and when desired, the relation of these horns may be reversed, by reversing the operating handles of the door and locking key 2|, for right and left hand doors.

In Figure 2 at the outside of the door, a laterally extended handle 33 is pivoted exterior of the door at 34, and this handle has a shank 35 that projects through a slot in the panel A, with the under edge of the free end of the shank resting upon horn 32 of the connector, while the upper edge of the shank contacts with and fits under the short arm 29 of the bolt-lever. it will be seen that the slide bolt is retracted and the door unlatched, from the outside, by pushing the handle 33 in the direction of the arrow in Figure 2, then, after this initial movement, while the handle is still grasped in the hand, the door is swung open. In this movement the shank 35 directly engages with and lifts the arm 29 of the bolt lever, and the long arm of the bolt lever loosely passing through the slot ll of the bolt, retracts the bolt.

To retract the bolt and unlatch the door from the inside, a handle 37 is first pulled away from the doorin the direction of the arrow, prior to the opening movement of the door. This inside handle is pivotally mounted at 38 on the door panel B, and the handle is fashioned with a shank 39 projecting through a slot in the panel, with the inner free end of the shank bearing down upon the horn 3! of the connector.

At the initial pull on the pivoted handle 31, shank 39 by contact with horn 3i rocks the connector, horn 32 lifts shank 35 against the tension of spring 35 which is interposed between the shank and a top flange of the interior panel 2, and contact of shank 35 with arm 29 swings the bolt lever or operating lever to cause retraction of the latch bolt.

A continued pull on the handle 3'! swings the door on its hinged support, to open the door in usual manner.

In the modified form of the invention disclosed in Figures 5 and 6, wherea different arrangement of the door handles is illustrated, the oscillating connector 90 is of inverted T-shape and it is pivotally mounted at M on the interior panel 2 in the same plane as the slide bolt and operating lever are located.

Below the pivot 49 of the connector the latter is fashioned with two oppositely projecting arms t2 and 93, and a spring 44 is interposed between the arm 43 and a suitable abutment on the interior panel 2, which spring tends to swing the connector in anti-clockwise direction on its pivot.

For retracting the bolt and opening the door from the outside of a car, a horizontally disposed handle 45, through a pin 55 which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings in the door and provided with a cam M, is employed. The cam 4? is located within the door just above the arm 43 of the connector, in position to contact with this arm as the handle 45 is swung on its pivot, and the cam rides on the arm to swing the connector on its pivot All. This movement of the connector causes the arm 92 to swing short arm 29 on the pivot 9, and thus the long arm IE! of the operating lever retracts the bolt.

For retracting the bolt and opening the door from the inside of a car, a vertically disposed handle 43, which is somewhat remotely positioned with relation to the latch, for convenient access, is employed. The head of the handle is mounted on a pivot pin 49 that is suitably journaled to r rock in bearings on the inside door panel, and

the pin is provided with a crank 50 to which is pivotally connected a long link 5i. The inner end of the extension link 52 is connected to the upper end of the inverted T-shaped connector by pin 53 and slot 54.

From this description taken in connection with the drawings it will be apparent that by swinging handle 58 to the left in Figure 6, the connector will be rocked, causing its arm 42 to lift arm 29,

Thus

and thereby swing the operating lever or bolt lever to retract the slide bolt.

For locking the bolt in projected position, from the inside of the door, as in Figure 6, I provide a detent 55 pivoted at 56 on the interior panel 2, with its lower free end in position to swing to the left in contact with the upper edge of arm 29 of the operating lever, and thereby hold the operating lever against retracting movement. The pivoted detent is connected by pin 5? and slot 58 with the free end of the extension link 52, and it will be apparent that a slight swing of handle 48 to the right, will swing the detent into locking position.

The detent is held in looking position by means of a spring pawl 59 anchored at 60 in a suitable part of the inside panel, and this spring pawl coacts with a ratchet 6| mounted on the pin 49, here shown as located between the inside panel A and a bearing mounted on the panel.

Changes and alterations may readily be made in the arrangement of these parts in adapting the door latch to various types of swinging or hinged doors, and for use with right hand doors and left hand doors, all of which changes come within the scope of my appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination in a door latch with a pivoted bolt-operating lever, and a pair of operating handles, of an oscillating connector pivotally mounted transversely of the operating lever, one of said handles having a shank bearing directly on the oscillating connector at one side of its pivot, the second handle having a shank bearing directly on the connector at the other side of its pivot and also having a bearing against the operating lever, and a spring for holding the second shank in contact with the connector.

2. The combination in a door latch with a bellcrank bolt-operating lever and a pair of oppositely disposed pivoted handles, of a pivotally mounted oscillating connector, one of said handles having means rigid therewith and frictionally engaging said connector, means operated by the other handle for actuating the operating lever in connection with said connector, and a spring device co-operating with the connector.

3. The combination in a door latch with a bellcrank bolt-operating lever, and a pair of oppositely disposed pivoted handles each having a rigid shank, of an oscillating connector pivotally mounted transversely of the lever and irictionally engaging said shanks at opposite sides of its pivot, one of said shanks having frictional contact with said lever, and a spring for holding the latter shank in contact with the connector.

4. The combination in a door latch with a bellcrank bolt-operating lever, an arm resiliently mounted on said lever, a latching lever pivotally mounted and connected with said arm, means on the latching lever for co-action with an abutment for actuating the operating lever, and a pair of oppositely disposed pivoted handles each having a shank, of an oscillating connector pivotally mounted transversely of the operating lever and frictionally engaging said shanks at opposite sides of its pivot, one of said shanks having pivotal contact with the operating lever, and a spring for holding the latter shank in contact with the connector.

5. In a door latch of the bell-crank and slide bolt type, the combination with a pivoted bolt-operating lever, a latching lever pivotally othe handle and engaging the connector, whereby a retracting movement is imparted to the operating lever by an initial pivotal movement of the handle.

'6. In a door latch of the slide bolt type, the combination with a bell-crank bolt operating lever, means mounted on one arm of the lever and operable by contact with an abutment on the door jamb for latching the bolt, of a separate oscillating connector arranged transversely of the lever and frictionally engaging the other arm of the lever, a pivoted actuating handle, and a spring pressed shank rigid with the handle and engaging the connector, whereby a retracting movement is imparted to the lever by an initial pivotal movement of the handle.

JULIUS A. SCHMITT. 

